Hurting
by fancykidx
Summary: JONAS FIC. NACY. Ask anyone and they’ll all tell you the same thing: I didn’t believe it until I saw it. oneshot.


**My longest oneshot? whoot! This is my first attempt at ever writing a JONAS fic, so I hope it works out okay. I admit i'm not the best writer out there and this was written between the hours of 2 and 4:30 in the morning, so there's probably grammar mistakes, and I feel like the ending could've been a lot better, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. I'm a sucker for Nacy (:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own JONAS, superman, or sybil trelawney (YES, THERE'S A HARRY POTTER REFERENCE! WHOOO). hehe.**

Their interactions consisted of packs of ice, visits to the nurse's office, and one hundred "_I'm so sorry!_"s for every second he spent in pain.

In her defense, Nick Lucas was one _sneaky_ gentleman; she wouldn't even realize he was there until she turned around and saw him bent over, clutching his abdomen or leg or wherever else he was newly injured.

Regardless of if it was accidental or not, Nick eventually fell into the habit of checking the hallways and classrooms briefly before walking into them. He took to eating his lunch in his car, or outside, or the guys' bathroom, really _anywhere_ except the table where his brothers, Stella, and Macy sat. He even went so far as to attempt to change his schedule so that he didn't have to spend time with her in the same room (when the secretary asked, he said that it was for not only his well being, but for the well being of fans all around the world- after all, he couldn't really play a concert if he had cracked ribs from a heavy bowling ball accidentally dropped on his chest, now could he?)

He didn't think it was cruel; not at all. He told himself that he was doing them both a favor. He didn't have to get hurt, she didn't have to feel bad about harming a member of JONAS.

But he still couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt whenever Stella's eyes stared accusingly at his retreating back each time he saw the familiar brunette coming his way.

To be honest, Macy wasn't sure which hurt worse: the fact that Nick Lucas, the musician that inspired her to want to sing (badly, she admits, but then again, even Superman had a weakness) in the first place, didn't want anything to do with her, or the fact that nothing ever went the way she hoped it would when she was around him.

* * *

There's more to Macy than people think.

Sure, she may not believe in fouls when playing sports (which is why the coach never lets her be referee, ever: the last time she did, twelve students ended up in the nurse's office), and sure, she's the only person in the school who will stand up to Johnny "I-know-every-gang-member-within-a-five-mile-radius-so-don't-mess-with-me" Canillas, but she's still a girl. With actual _feelings._

So when Jackson Rider, the _ohmygodsocuteplaysthedrumsanddoesbaseballandisinallAdvancedPlacementclasses_ new guy in school, asks her out to dinner and a movie, she is immediately smitten.

Soon, Macy becomes known to the school not as _"Macy, The Scary Athlete Chick,"_ or "_Macy, The Creepy Fangirl_," but as "_Macy, The One Who's Dating The Hottest Guy In School_."

Macy is strutting down the hallways confidently with a smile on her face and her hand intertwined with Jackson's and she has never felt so _good_ before.

In fact, she is so obviously consumed by her relationship that it soon becomes her new obsession. Forget JONAS; why pine away for three musical brothers when she has her _own_ cutie- one who has looks, brains, athleticism, _and_ musical talent?

The three Lucas brothers notice the change in her. One day Nick is peeking out from behind his brothers into the hallway – his usual routine – when he hears a familiar voice say "Hey, Nick, Joe, Kevin." Nick is flinching and closing his eyes and bracing himself for the pain and endless apologies, but it never comes. Instead, he feels air whooshing past him and he opens his eyes and sees that Macy and what's-his-face have walked by, and Macy isn't even looking back or hyperventilating and when did _this_ happen?

In truth, Nick likes the new Macy. Sure, she's always around that Rider kid, but at least she's less intimidating. And even better, he finds he can hold a conversation with her _without_ ending up on the ground, writhing in agony. He soon finds himself walking through hallways without checking them and eating in the cafeteria with his brothers and Stella and Macy again, who are now joined by Jackson, who is practically attached at the hip to Macy. And because of their constant cuddling and kissing, Nick finds it difficult to talk to her.

But it's the small things that count. Nick no longer has to worry about being injured when he talks to Macy. Maybe this is the beginning of the road to being friends with the amazing girl Stella claims Macy is.

* * *

It's not normal for Macy to be absent to school, but when she is, you know she's either deathly ill or in need of a major mental health day.

It seems it's the latter, as Stella is practically dragging him out of school at the end of the day, telling them that they need to make an emergency pit stop at CVS to buy chocolates and ice cream and other essential junk food before they go to Macy's house. Nick protests, but Stella says that Kevin is in cheerleading and Joe has to pick up Frankie from school and Nick is the only one left with a car and a credit card and Stella wouldn't make him go with her if it wasn't absolutely _important_ and Nick can't say no.

Nick's never been to Macy's house, and he didn't have any interest in going there, but as they pull up to a small little brick house, a small flame of curiosity ignites in him. He's heard stories about Macy's bedroom walls filled with JONAS posters and memorabilia, and he realizes he's about to experience it firsthand. Stella produces a key from underneath a potted plant and leads him up the stairs, turning right and knocking softly on a door. Nick hears a faint sob coming from inside, and Stella takes it as an invitation to come in. He braces himself, expecting to see thousands of pictures of him and his brothers staring back at him.

What he _does_ see surprises him. Staring down at him from the walls are dozens of pictures of Macy and Jackson; most were candids, a few were from photo booths at the mall, and one looked professional quality, as if she had actually paid someone to take pictures of them together. He's also quite surprised when he sees broken glass on the floor and what looks to be a ripped up photo – and judging from the biggest fragment of glossy paper he could find, it was a picture of Macy and Jackson kissing. But what surprises him the most is the girl lying down on the bed, her eyes red and puffy, her cheeks tearstained and blotchy.

Stella quickly runs over to her and wraps her arm around her, trying to soothe her and handing her one of the fifteen bars of chocolate they bought at the store, while Nick stands there awkwardly, torn between wanting to leave the room (those pictures were actually really creeping him out) and wanting to comfort Macy, now that he understands what happened. Because although Macy and Nick were more like acquaintances than friends, he still hated to see girls cry.

An hour later, Nick is still standing there, unsure of what to do, and Stella is getting up and telling Macy "I'll be right back, I'm just going to go call my mom and make sure she knows I'm spending the night here."

Stella gives Nick a _look,_ one that says "don't just stand there, do something, you idiot" before she walks out of the room, shutting the door softly behind her, and Nick is rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, because soothing crying girls was more of Kevin's forte.

Fortunately, she makes the first move. "It was nice of you to come here, Nick." She sniffs miserably, having apparently been all cried out, and Nick's heart aches for the poor girl in front of him. "I know you and I aren't exactly good friends. But I'm glad you came here, even if Stella forced you to."

And Nick takes a few steps closer to the bed, feeling so incredibly _guilty_ for every bad thought he's ever had about her. He stares down at her, watches her reach for tissues and rip open another chocolate bar. He's quiet for a moment, carefully choosing his words, before he tentatively says, "I didn't exactly come here by my own free will, but Stella didn't _force_ me to, either." He bites his lip slightly, before taking another few steps closer and sitting uncertainly on the edge of her bed. "I'm sorry you're hurting, Macy. I'm sorry that someone hurt you."

And Macy wants to cry all over again, because that was so sweet and incredible and it's the best thing anyone has ever apologized to her for. "Thank you, Nick." And this time she can't help it, as the moisture spills out, and it's much worse than before as the sudden realization hits: _Someone hurt me. I'm hurting. I'm in pain._

Macy's been hurt before but never like this; it feels like her heart is _killing_ her and she can't breathe and she hears something that's a mix of choking and screaming and wait a minute that's her and she moves to get up, to go run outside for hours and hours to try and make this feeling go away-

And all of a sudden, she feels a pair of arms holding her and rocking her and whispering to her: _"it'll be alright, it'll be alright…"_

At first Macy thinks Stella's back but then she notices that the person has curly brown hair, not blonde hair. It's so comforting and welcome and she wants to drown in the feeling of Nick's strong arms hesitantly wrapped around her, his calloused fingers fumbling to wipe away her tears, his soft voice trying to talk to her, hastily saying anything he could to make her feel better, to make the dull ache in her chest go away.

And that's how Stella finds them a few minutes later, Macy trying so hard to stop her tears and Nick trying so hard to stop her pain.

* * *

A few weeks later, Macy is back to laughing again and Nick is much more pleased than he wants to admit. That moment they shared in her bedroom melted away all of the awkwardness between them and rather than just waving hi to her in the hallways like he used to do when she was still with _him_ (Nick still gets a slow, burning, angry feeling in the pit of his stomach when he hears his name), he now makes an effort to carefully push his way through the crowds of people to walk next to her and talk to her while they made their way to class.

Nick had seen her at her toughest, at her weakest, and at her most awkward; now he wanted to know what she was like in between all of that.

He had a feeling they were somewhat alike, and that if he could get to know her better, maybe they could be closer as friends. That's what he told himself, at least, when he would insist on carrying her books and complimenting her eyes or hair or watching her walk through the hallways, her backpack strap over one shoulder and her gym bag over the other.

He hates to admit it but sometimes he wishes she was still obsessed with JONAS. She had turned it down _a lot_ and he was grateful that he no longer received injuries from her, but he always felt stupid when he would wave at her from down the hallway, hoping she would come over, and all she would is wave back and continue on her way.

One day he sees her sending furtive glances over her shoulder during lunch. Curiously, he glances over and sees a boy with spiky blonde hair shooting Macy a smile.

Nick left lunch that day with a pain in his chest. He told his brothers he was probably suffering from a stomach ache or heartburn or a broken rib or something. He wasn't too worried about it; he was more preoccupied with replaying that scene over and over in his mind.

* * *

Word soon spreads around the school again: Macy is now dating an _artist,_ Leo Michaels. Nick feels like he is going to vomit when he sees them walking down the hallway hand in hand, and although Macy makes it a point at first to stop and talk to Nick, Nick finds himself much less suave than he usually is. Words come out of his mouth before he even realizes what he's saying, and they're not exactly nice words, either.

The first time, Macy looks slightly shocked at first before giving an awkward laugh and quickly says goodbye, walking away with Leo in tow.

The second time, Macy narrows her eyes and leaves without saying another word.

The third time, Macy tells Leo that she would meet up with him later before turning on Nick and talking to him furiously, escalating into a full on yelling match when Nick met her accusations with cold indifference.

* * *

Suddenly, the roles were reversed: Macy was the one avoiding Nick like he was the plague, while Nick was left hurting on the side.

In truth, he really didn't know what was wrong with him. Macy was happy. She was _happy._ So Nick should've been happy too, right?

_Wrong,_ he thought, as he watched her – yet again – abruptly turn around in the other direction when she saw him.

It took him awhile to realize it, but one morning – 3 months and 4 days after Macy and Leo started going out – he realized he was in love with her. There was no other explanation; he was in love with the last girl he ever thought he would fall in love with, a girl who was already taken.

That day, he stayed home from school. It had been a while since he had a mental health day.

* * *

Nick woke up that afternoon with an ache in his chest and a knocking on the door. He grunted slightly, lying back down in his bed and rolling over, closing his eyes.

"Nick?" A small voice called out, and that was the _last_ person he was hoping to see.

He heard footsteps coming closer and felt the bed dip slightly at the end of his bed. "Go away, Mace. I'm happy you came here, but just… go away." Nick's voice sounded weary and Macy was totally unsure of what to do next.

Macy got up and made her way to the door; if he wanted to be alone, she would let him be alone. But she made the mistake of taking one last look at Nick, now lying face up on his bed, staring at the ceiling with a frown on his face. She sighed and walked back to his bed. "Nick?"

No response.

"Nick… are you okay? You've been acting really strange lately."

"I'm fine," he said, but his words didn't match his tone of voice. He was never very good at expressing his feelings, but he was even worse at hiding them.

And finally, just when he thought she was going to get up and leave, she surprised him. "I'm sorry you're hurting, Nick," she said, echoing his words from so many weeks before. "I'm sorry someone hurt you."

And all Nick wants to do right now is kiss her, let her know that the only way the pain could be fixed was if she promised to be his, if she promised to let him be the one that walked down the hallways hand in hand with her. So long ago he had wanted nothing more than for her to treat him normally, but he would give anything to have her look at him again with stars in her eyes.

Nick sat up and before he knew what he was doing he was running his fingers through her hair, his other hand resting on her cheek and he saw her shiver slightly at his touch. "Macy…" he whispered, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers and her scent was intoxicating and if he were to die right now he would die the happiest he's ever been.

But then he snaps back to reality, and _Macy has a boyfriend._ He pulls away suddenly, meeting her shocked gaze with one of his own and she bit her lip and he had the overwhelming urge to kiss her again, but he couldn't. He loved Macy, but he was not the only one who felt that. He would _not_ be the other guy.

And so he watched her walk quickly out of his room, and he wondered who was going to take _his_ pain away.

* * *

Nick stayed home from school the next day. And the next. And the next.

His family didn't ask questions.

* * *

He was sitting on his windowsill with his guitar on his lap and a notebook in front of him, trying to come up with words for what he was feeling and coming up empty, when he heard knocking on his door.

"Come in," he said, his voice hoarse. He hadn't spoken to anyone in days.

The minute he saw the brunette hair, his whole body shot up.

"Hi," she said, staring at him from across the room.

Nick bit his lip before replying. "Hey." He had never felt so vulnerable before; here was the girl he silently handed his heart to only days before, and she still hadn't told him what she was going to do with it.

"So…" she whispered, and shivers shot down Nick's spine, and _seriously,_ all she has to do is say one word and she's already captivated him? "I broke up with Leo."

The room was silent for a moment as she let that sink in. "You… what?"

"I broke up with Leo," She repeated, and Nick felt his heart, which he thought had stopped working long ago, start to beat again, this time much faster than before. "He took it surprisingly well. Apparently he was starting to have eyes for Penny. You know those artists. They always fall for the sensitive musician types."

And Nick smiled a real smile as he took a few steps closer to her. "And athletes?"

Macy smiled back and closed the distance between them. "They fall for the sensitive musician types, too. It just takes them a while to realize."

And suddenly they were kissing and her arms were around his neck and his arms were around her waste and he was laughing, laughing, laughing because he was so happy, she was making him so happy, and he never wanted it to end.

* * *

Ask anyone and they'll all tell you the same thing: _I didn't believe it until I saw it._

Because how _could_ you believe it? Macy Misa, JONAS fan club president, world record holder for most JONAS posters in one bedroom, lethal with athletic equipment both on _and_ off the field, dating Nick Lucas, singer, songwriter, _rock star_ extraordinaire?

Impossible. Even Sybil Trelawney couldn't have predicted it.

And yet… it made so much sense.

* * *


End file.
